STATCOUNTER

Turkey and Fiddler on the Roof

This is not my usual cynical Thanksgiving rant about how if turkey is such a big deal, why do we usually eat it just once a year.

This is actually more of a congratulatory piece in honor of the TGA (Turkey Growers of America, an association that I have just invented.) The TGA has made turkey the dinner tradition of the Thanksgiving holiday for a vast majority of those who celebrate it. Other foods that are associated with specific occasions (Easter: ham; Passover: apples and honey; Valentine’s day: chocolates) are usually also served throughout the year. Rarely so with turkey.

Which leads us to the reason for my mentioning Fiddler in the title. One of the big numbers, and indeed probably the theme of the show, is “Tradition.” And there is no greater tradition in November than a turkey for Thanksgiving.

So, two points. One: congrats again to the TGA. And second: is there anything you provide that you can make as indispensable as the Thanksgiving turkey? Something that will make people say, “oh, we always insist on/buy/use/eat/enjoy that thing whenever we need a new one.”

My third point is this. The TGA should be ashamed of themselves.

They are settling for one day out of 365 (not including next day’s leftovers) for people to focus on their product. Surely without diluting their ownership as the star of the Thanksgiving meal they can extend turkey usage to other times of the year. They might suggest that every Tuesday should be a turkey day. Or propose turkey as the fitting choice for all family celebrations. Create a fun buzz on Twitter between dark meat and white meat backers.

Since the TGA is probably not going to hire me to execute any of these ideas, this is as far as I plan to take it. But hopefully this will provoke you into thinking of new ways to extend your brand usage.